Sunday, April 26, 2009

The Swine Flu Pandemic- Something we should take note.

I don't know whether this is the international crisis Joe Biden was referring to but nevertheless we should take all necessary precaution as this flu appear to be much more fatal to human as compared to Asian avian flu.The Spanish flu that wiped out 50m lives is actually a bird flu (click here) and for the good of mankind few scientist have actually revived the deadly strain (click here) but not before they created a vaccine specifically for this purpose (click here). What a co incidence! .It reminds me of Professor Klon of Cicakman movieCURRENT KNOWN OUTBREAK SITESMexico CityImperial County, CaliforniaSan Diego County, CaliforniaSan Antonio, TexasLong Island, New YorkQueens, New YorkChappqua, New YorkKansasOntario, Canada

VIRUSThe H1N1 virus is a hybrid of swine flu, which is highly contagious, and avian flu, which is similar in effect to the 1918 so-called "Spanish" flu, plus human influenza. The fatalities are mostly within the 25 to 45 age grouping. Ironically, it is the good health of this young adult population which causes the fatalities as the avian flu triggers a severe immune response which leads to excessive edema. This in turn ruptures the cell walls leading to hemorrhagic symptoms. Patients bleed out into their lungs and drown.

VACCINESThere is no vaccine known to the public for this particular virus. There are vaccines for related viruses thought to possibly be effective, but this is unreliable information. In response to the problems of the 1976 Swine Flu vaccine which caused neurological damage in patients as well as the more recent Baxter scandal in which live H5N1 virus was mixed in with vaccine materials, the government of Sweden has advised their population NOT to obtain vaccinations at this time. As was demonstrated in the 1976 case, the decision to force vaccines on the public are often made more from a commercial for-profit concern than what is actually best for the population.

PREVENTIONAt this time it is being claimed that primary infection is skin-to-skin contact, so wash your hands often with a good bacteriological soap. Avoid touching other people. While risk of direct transfer by air is low, according to CDC, the reality is that coughs and sneezes can produce aerosolyzed secretions in which the virus is surrounded by liquids and able to survive for prolonged periods of time outside the body. If this virus has a lipid coating, that time will be longer.Disinfection of household surfaces can be accomplished with a dilute (10%) solution of chlorine bleach and water will kill the virus. So will strong light, especially ultra-violet light.Given the similarity between the avian flu component of this new virus and the 1918 Spanish flu, a possible precaution to take is common household cinnamon from the spice rack. During the 1918 outbreak it was noticed that people who worked at a cinnamon processing factory did not catch the disease. Cinnamon in high doses can be toxic, but 500 Mg a day for adults seems like a reasonable dose.